The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to a method of restoring information for display by an EPL.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the price of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A transaction establishment may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs ate coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from a price look-up (PLU) data file and stored within an EPL price change record.
EPLs are also being used to display more than just price information. For example, retailers are using EPLs to display promotional information in order to more effectively market associated merchandise items. Retailers must also display status and other information for the benefit of employees.
However, EPLs have limited memory capacity for storing the many types of information which must be displayed. For example, a typical EPL has four data registers which can simultaneously store, at most, two types of information. Therefore, it would be desirable for providing a method of temporarily displaying new information and returning to previously displayed information despite the memory capacity limitation of an EPL.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a method of restoring information for display by an electronic price label (EPL) system is provided.
The method includes the steps of determining whether a memory of the electronic price label contains primary display information during the temporary display period, and if the memory of the electronic price label does not contain the primary display information during the temporary display period, sending a message to the electronic price label containing the primary display information for display following the temporary display period.
An electronic price label system includes an EPL including a memory containing a plurality of different locations for storing different pieces of information, and a computer which sends a first message to the EPL containing temporary display information to be displayed by the EPL during a temporary display period, determines whether primary display information was removed by the EPL from the memory to store the temporary display information, and, if the primary display information was removed, stores the primary display information in a data file, reads the primary display information in the data file at a predetermined time, and sends a second message to the EPL containing the primary display information for display following the temporary display period.
The primary display information may include primary display characters, display instructions, or both.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method of restoring information for display by an EPL.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of interrupting display of information by an EPL in order to display a different type of information.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of tracking information removed from a memory in the EPL during a temporary display period for later replacement.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of displaying a different type of information and returning to the previously displayed information which compensates for insufficient memory capacity in EPLs.